I'm new to poi (picked some up when i got fed up trying to learn fish tails on my staff) and working my way though the HoP lessons. i've got up to no 13 (Thread the Needle) and i just can't figure out what to do! Can someone help me?!

Posted:3rd Dec 2007There is a 4bt ttn- or i have heard a move called that anyway- it involves wrapping your wrists in a similar way to the 5bt weave, but while doing a ttn.. Sorry, that's one of the worst descriptions ever- I can do it, I'm just not sure what it is exactly I'm doing

Posted:4th Dec 2007You'll have to explain how you do that. Im not sure what to advise other than watching your planes. It sounds like (pardon the assumption) you might be inadvertently creating a stall and leading with your hand towards the outside. This would drag the poi behind you and put you into a weave. Either that or you are doing some serious plane shifting.

Im trying to think how to explain it, but Im having trouble visualizing without my poi in hand. If it hasn't been answered for you later, Ill try to drop back in this evening with a proper explanation.

"to a man whose only tool is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail." Abraham Maslow

Posted:5th Dec 2007Just out of curiosity, any advice on this, as i can do ttn no problem with my socks, no problem with my tails (on cord) but cannot for the life of me do it with my chains!! should this be any different or does it just go back to PRACTICE and timing?!!?

Posted:5th Dec 2007I am stalling it, mostly because I am not sure how to unwrap the poi from my forearm. I will try the link though. My planes are not too bad (could do with some work, but that is another story)

Thanks.

Looking at the video was helpful. I will ask if it still does not come together, but I can see what to do now. (Side view is the more useful one...) here is the link btw:

SO...I was trying to get 4-beat TTN. And I thought I had it because it seemed I was getting the right number of beats, but re-watching the vids I'm not doing it.

What I've got going is that each arm will cross the other and the "top" poi (my right hand) rotates near the crossed-over arms' elbow, then that poi comes back to center body and rotates INSIDE that same elbow. The timing is such that one arm is crossing over as the opposite poi is rotating inside the opposite elbow, though it seems that the left hand is doing inside the elbow first, then crossing.

What the heck am I doing? Is it a move, or just a TTN jazz variation? It's fun as all get out, but now I have to go back and learn the REAL 4-b TTN.

(really, this is just normal TTN all over again for me, as I'd thought I was doing it for a year before someone showed me I was just doing a funky-timed butterfly with strange arm wiggling...which I still do if I spin to metal music)

Posted:15th Feb 2008im also finding thread the needle a bit of a b**ch! i understand the basic concept but the whole problem for me is that when i do the normal butterfly i always have my left hand on top- i cant seem to work out how to swap hands! it seems so simple but just wont happen every time i try, i just go into a weave or something by accident!! aaaahhh!!any advice? xx

Posted:17th Feb 2008Try starting out by just crossing your arms. So push your right hand over and to the left. Then the same with the left, push it over and to the right.Then try cutting down on the number of spins before each swap.

The TTN annoyed me for ages, then one day it just clicked and was working.

Split time version is annoying me still, I keep going back to the normal one. Guess I just need to concentrate for a bit.

'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice."You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Posted:5th Mar 2008yay i can do it now!!! albiet not very well but its clicking into place. it seems really easy now so i hope im doing it right i always panic and think im just doing some made up rubbish trick of my own lol

Posted:7th Mar 2008is there any way to do the ttn 4 beat isolated i got the 4bt ttn and the regular ttn isolated so it would seem i have the prerequisite moves but maybe just not ability to strecth like that idk has anyone tried to iso the 4 bt ttn

Posted:4th Apr 2008the best way to learn it is to watch the hand movements as opposed to the movements of the poi. as you're doing the butterfly, your hands are moving in small circles in front of your body. to thread the needle, take whichever hand you lead with and allow the poi to move your hand in a larger circle, slightly pushing your hand forward. wait about a half second and do the same with your other hand, pulling your dominant hand slightly back. soon it'll just become rhythmic and everything will fall in to place.

Posted:10th Apr 2008This is how I teach people TTN, and I think it's the easiest way.

When you do butterfly, take notice of which hand is on top, or "leading." For me, my right hand is a little higher and further forward than my left. Learn to switch that so your non-dominant hand is leading, on top. Practice this, get it in your muscle memory, and learn how to switch from one to the other. That's all it is. Butterfly, but switching leads (people tend to exaggerate moving the hands forward and in, that makes it look more difficult).

Posted:31st Dec 2009I too am having difficulty with this move. but i try to break moves down and ive realized that i can do the forward butterfly with my right hand in front, but next to impossible to do it with my left hand in front.

so now i do what i always have done. only attempt butterflies with my left hand in front. hopefully, once i get good at this, it will allow me to continue a solid TTN